Down In The Underground
by Sar-kaz-m
Summary: Xover with Labyrinth. LZ. One evening, Lina makes a hasty wish.


_Through dangers untold _

_And hardships unnumbered_

_I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City_

_To take back the child you have stolen_

_For my will is as strong as yours_

_And my kingdom as great_

_You have no power over me_

Lina stopped listening to the storyteller in the inn. She'd hoped that the end of the tale would contain a fragment of some spell, maybe something she could adapt, but all the storyteller recited was a typical hero-speech. Amelia and Gourry leaned forward, still fascinated by the tale, though Zelgadis seemed to have ignored all the entertainment.

The no-name little inn within this no-name little town had been full of diners earlier, but the crowd had thinned until only those people staying the night were left. The aged storyteller had entertained the listeners for hours.

Lina sighed and stared into space over her multitude of empty plates. They'd defeated Dark Star, and saw Filia safely to a nice city where she intended to live as a human, raising the reborn Valgaav as her son. Now Lina and the others traveled overland back to their home peninsula. They hadn't seen Xellos since the finale of that escapade. Suddenly she came to herself as Zelgadis waved a hand in front of her face. Blinking, she turned to him.

"Bored?" he asked quietly.

Lina shrugged. The journey so far had been relatively peaceful, though long. They were less than half of the way home. Stretching, she glanced at Gourry and Amelia. Then, to Zelgadis, she said, "Silly little story, huh?"

Zelgadis shrugged. "Typical children's tale. Irresponsible young girl does something, has to endure trials to make up for it, and learns a lesson. It's all morality teachings."

Lina smiled to herself. Zel was never anything less than cynical. She tried to remember the last time he genuinely smiled. Hmm. He'd been smiling up at her when she returned from being possessed by the Lord of Nightmares. After that, all she could recall were half-smiles, unconscious quirks of the lips, and his trademark "evil smirk" when taking on an enemy. She suspected that Zel was becoming more bitter than ever.

"Wow," sighed Amelia, "What a wonderful story! Atoning for her sins, the princess fights for justice and defeats the evil king!"

Zelgadis just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but why didn't she just blast him?" asked Gourry. "I mean, she had magic, right?"

"No, Mr. Gourry, she didn't."

"But I thought all princesses could do magic."

"No, Mr. Gourry. Remember Miss Martina? She couldn't do magic."

"Who?"

"Nevermind."

Lina stood. "Enough. Ready for bed?" she asked them all. The others all nodded, though Zelgadis grimaced a bit. They were doubled up in rooms, and Lina knew very well that Gourry both snored and talked in his sleep.

In their room, Amelia continued to prattle on about the storyteller's tale. Finally, in an effort to shut her up, Lina said "Amelia, there are no such things as goblins! And no Goblin Kings! I would know – I've studied every creature in the world."

"But Miss Lina, all legends have some basis in fact, don't they?"

"Not always. Sometimes people just make things up."

"But, everyone said the Clair Bible was a legend, and we found it. We found two!"

Lina sighed. "Amelia, just let it go and go to sleep!" She nestled into her bed, pulling the covers tight. "Don't forget to blow out the candles."

"But Miss Lina…."

Finally frustrated, Lina snapped, "Amelia! If you don't shut up…."

In a whisper, Amelia said, "I'm sorry, Miss Lina."

Grumbling, as she rolled over and away from Amelia, Lina muttered, "Heh, I wish the Goblin King would come and take you away right now. Then I could get some sleep!"

Suddenly, the window banged open. Amelia squealed, but her voice was cut off mid-noise. A gust of wind blew out every candle in the room simultaneously as Lina sat up in surprise. The pale light of the moon barely illuminated the room as a white owl suddenly flew in. It circled Lina's head, causing her to duck, and headed back towards the window. But as she looked again, the owl suddenly transformed into a tall man, dressed in rich clothing of midnight blue and black.

"What the hell!" Lina yelled, jumping to her feet. Just then, the door to her room banged open as Zelgadis, still masked and fully clothed, came running in. Zelgadis had his sword drawn, ready for a confrontation.

The tall man never so much as flinched. Lina quickly cast "Lighting!"

He was tall and blond, his hair flowing in every direction without regard to any breeze. His mismatched eyes locked on her own, reminding her uncomfortably of Copy Rezo. His voice was smooth and calm, with an unusual accent, as he said, "Hello, Lina."

"Where's Amelia?" Zelgadis demanded, but Lina held out her hand to stop him.

"You're the Goblin King, aren't you?"

"Jareth, at your service," replied the man in a mocking tone.

"What have you done with Amelia? Where is she?" Lina asked.

"You know very well where she is, Lina."

"Bring her back," growled Zelgadis.

Ignoring Zelgadis, Jareth smiled charmingly at Lina. "I've brought you a gift." Out of thin air, he conjured a perfectly spherical crystal. "It will show you treasures beyond your imagining. But this is no ordinary gift. It's not for a young woman who watches over a clumsy, obsessive little girl." Lina's eyes flicked to the crystal. "Do you want it?" Jareth asked. "Then forget about the princess."

"Give Amelia back!" Lina insisted, drawing together power for a Fireball.

With a disappointed expression, Jareth said, "Don't defy me, Lina." With a turn of his hand, the crystal became a hissing snake, which he flung at Lina. Before it landed on her, a quick flash of Zelgadis's sword sliced it in two. As Zel placed himself in front of Lina, two pieces of a silken scarf fluttered to the ground.

"Such a pity," observed Jareth.

"Illusion," Zel scoffed.

"Excuse me," Lina said sweetly, right before she elbowed Zelgadis in the ribs. He did move back, but Lina hissed in pain and clutched her elbow. Addressing Jareth again, disregarding his expression of amusement, Lina repeated, "Give Amelia back."

Turning suddenly, Jareth pointed out the window. "She's there, in my castle." The view from the window had changed to show an ornate and gloomy castle in the distance, surrounded by a maze of epic proportions.

"It's not that far," Lina observed.

Suddenly Jareth was whispering in her ear. "It's further than you think." Lina started, finding herself on a barren hill. Zelgadis stood nearby, looking about in surprise. He still had his sword gripped firmly in his hand, ready for action. There was no sign of the inn room.

"If you still want the princess back, you have thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth and reach the castle beyond the goblin city. If you fail, the princess will become one of us, forever," stated Jareth, his voice fading as he slowly disappeared. "Such a pity." And he was gone.

"Lina, what the hell is going on?" said Zel, in an overly calm voice. Lina turned to him to see a grim expression on his face.

"The tale, Zel. We're in the tale the storyteller told. I wished Amelia away in anger, and he took her. Now we've got to get her back."

Zelgadis nodded, sheathing his sword now that there was no immediate threat.

"I'm sorry, Zel."

"Huh? Well, it was a pretty stupid thing to do, but who knew the story was true."

Lina blinked. She'd thought Zel would be angrier than this. After all, he and Amelia… She watched as he started walking towards the Labyrinth.

"Come on, Lina. We do have a time limit."

Suddenly, Jareth's voice echoed over them. "One last thing, my dear. Your abilities are…. limited here. You wouldn't want to waste all your skills in one place, now would you?"

Glancing at each other, Lina and Zelgadis considered Jareth's words. Lina hated the implications, but pragmatic Zelgadis just shrugged and continued walking.

The wall before them was tall and apparently seamless. Though there were points along it that would suggest a gateway, they were unable to open any doorways into the Labyrinth.

Suddenly, coming around a scraggly hedge, Lina spotted a small person next to a dead fountain, his back to her. Blushing, she realized he was pissing into the fountain.

Clearing her throat, she called, "Hey you!"

Started, the little man jumped, stuffing himself back into his trousers. "Oh! Excuse me…" But when he spotted her, he seemed to deflate. "Oh, lord, not another one!"

"Not another one what?" Lina asked, insulted.

"Lemme guess – got to get into the Labyrinth, have you? Got to get to the castle?"

Coming up behind Lina, Zelgadis asked, "This happens a lot?"

Blinking, the little man exclaimed, "Two this time? Bending the rules a bit, aren't you, Jareth?" He bent over, grabbing some sort of tool on the ground. Straightening, he walked away from them.

"Hey!" Lina chased after him. "How do you get into the Labyrinth?"

The man just shook his head, making a tsk'ing sound.

Zelgadis got in his way, forcing him to look up. The man did a brief double take, for Zelgadis had removed his habitual hood and mask. Now that he had the little man's attention, Zelgadis demanded, "Your name!"

Cowed, the man replied, "Hoggle!"

"Hoggle, we have to get into the Labyrinth. Where do we get in?"

Hoggle blinked again, then with a sly smile, he pointed. "You gets in there!" As he pointed, a formerly seamless wall under one of the gate structures began to rumble, door panes of stone rumbling open.

"Yahoo!" cried Lina, bolting for the opening. Zel charged after her.

"Lina, wait! There could be traps!" But he came to a sudden stop just behind her.

Before them was another seamless wall, but the passageway they found themselves in stretched to the left and the right for what looked like miles. They stared in dumbfounded shock.

"So!" rasped Hoggle, suddenly beside them. Lina squealed in startlement, leaping into Zelgadis's arms. He looked at her in surprise as she jumped down again, just as fast. Hoggle snickered. "So, which way? Left or right?"

"Which way would you go?" Zel asked.

"Oh no. I wouldn't go at all! And I'm not, y'hear me? I'm not!" With that, he turned on his heel and walked out. At a gesture, the doors slammed shut behind him, closing Lina and Zelgadis into the endless passageway.

Shrugging, Lina asked Zelgadis, "What do you think?"

He considered the wall before them a moment, then said, "If you climb up on my shoulders, you should be able to see over."

"Why not just levitate?"

With a scornful look, Zelgadis said, "Our powers are limited, remember? Why use magic when you don't have to?"

Piqued, Lina just huffed and motioned Zelgadis to the wall. He braced himself, and she clambered up his back. But once she stood on his shoulders, the wall was still too tall. "I can't see over it!" Lina exclaimed.

"What? It's only a couple meters."

"Zel, it's way more than a couple meters!" Jumping down, she looked back up at the wall in time to see it shrink back to its original height. "It shrunk! I mean, it must have gotten taller when I climbed up!"

Zelgadis stood back and examined the wall. Then he tried climbing it himself. But when he got about two meters up, the top of the wall seemed to have receded away from him. Letting himself fall, he cursed under his breath. "No cheating, it seems."

Lina sighed. "Well, c'mon then." She started walking.

A few minutes later, she noticed Zelgadis was not immediately behind her. Turning back to look, she saw him examining some moss on the wall.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It moved. And look – eyes."

Lina looked closer, then stepped back. "Ewww!"

Zelgadis nodded. "It appears to be sentient, but no mouth to talk."

"Yeah, yeah, enough botany, let's get going."

After a few more moments:

"Do you think that maybe there's a turn ahead, but so far we can't see it yet?"

Zelgadis shrugged. "One way to find out. Wait here." And with that, he started running. After a few steps, he turned on the demon speed, something Lina had only seen a few times. Within seconds he was just a beige blur in the distance. Sighing, Lina sat and leaned against the wall.

"'Allo!" came a tiny voice.

Lina glanced down at the ledge next to her arm. Her brain registered a tiny pinkish thing, and went into overload.

"SLUG!" She shrieked and leapt up and away from the thing. But where part of her brain expected to run into the other wall, she continued staggering backwards. "SLUG!" she screamed again. "ZEL!"

A mile away, Zelgadis's sensitive hearing caught her voice. Little did Lina know quite how attuned to her voice he was, for in a feat no creature other than a demon could accomplish, he'd pivoted and sprinted back. He'd only been running before, but concern for Lina lent him such speed that the eye-moss couldn't even register his passing. He skidded to a halt where he'd left Lina, sword drawn, but with his back to her.

Leaping onto his back, wrapping her arm around him, Lina pointed at the pink thing and wailed, "Slug! Slug! KILL IT!"

Looking in the direction she pointed, all Zelgadis saw was a strange little worm on a stone.

"I'm not a slug! I'm a worm!" the worm exclaimed, insulted by the girl's reaction. But Lina wasn't listening.

Totally surprised by Lina's fright, amazed by her shivering and crying, Zelgadis carefully sheathed his sword and put his arm around her. "Lina, Lina, it's NOT a slug. It's a worm. Not a slug. Lina, are you listening to me?"

After another moment, Lina calmed down. Then she blushed to the roots of her hair to find herself in Zelgadis's arms. Stepping away, she giggled a bit hysterically, and said, "Yeah. Yeah. A worm, right. Sorry."

Judging she was calming down, Zelgadis turned back to the worm, and knelt down.

"Bit of a nervous thing, ain't she?" asked the worm.

Nonplussed, Zelgadis asked, "Do you know the way through the Labyrinth?"

"Nope, sorry. I'm just a worm. But there's an opening behind you. The young lady found it just a moment ago, while she was screaming."

Zelgadis turned back to Lina. Carefully reaching a hand out, he walked forward more paces than he knew the corridor was wide. Sure enough, when he looked left and right, he saw that this new passage turned almost immediately into the Labyrinth.

"Would you like to come in for a spot of tea?" asked the worm as Zelgadis looked about. Lina kept her distance from the talking worm.

"No, but thank you." Zelgadis said absently, starting to the left.

"Whoa, don't go that way!" cried the worm. "Never go that way!"

Pausing, Zelgadis asked, "Why not?"

"You go that way, and you'll go straight to that castle," explained the worm.

Lina and Zelgadis froze. They spared a moment to stare at each other, processing the worm's words.

"YES!" yelled Lina. "Thanks!" She grabbed Zelgadis's wrist and started running, dragging him along.

High above the Goblin City, in a tower with views over the entire Labyrinth, Jareth sat on his throne and stared at the girl bound to a chair in the center of the room. Goblins edged as far away from her as possible as she ranted on and on.

"This is UNJUST! It's EVIL to kidnap people and take them away from their friends! I demand that you release me and return me at once! And another thing—this place is FILTHY! No true royalty would allow their castle to become like this! And the goblins need a good bath!"

At the last word, goblins began sneaking out of the throne room.

"Life should be bright and sunny and colorful! This place is a BAD and EVIL place, and you're a HORRIBLE man!"

Finally, Jareth couldn't take anymore. "ENOUGH!" he thundered, rising, sending goblins running in panic, and shaking dust down from the roof. Glancing at a clock on the way, he continued, "In another nine hours, you're going to BE a goblin, my dear, so I suggest you get used to this place."

Amelia huffed cutely. "Miss Lina and the others will save me! They fight for Justice and Love, and they can never be defeated!"

Groaning in frustration, Jareth gestured to two of the biggest goblins. "Take her to the dungeon!" Listening to Amelia's strident voice as the goblins carried her off, Jareth sighed. She won't make much of a goblin, he thought, but no wonder Lina wished her away.

Just then, a short goblin came running into the throne room. "Your Highness!" it shrieked, "They're in the Express Passage!"

"What?" snarled Jareth. Immediately conjuring a crystal, he looked in it to see Lina and Zelgadis running down the one passage that led straight to the castle. "Oh no you don't, lovely Lina!" Using a touch of his power, Jareth opens a pit in the ground ahead of them. Smiling slightly, he watched as the two questers fell down the hole. "There. They're in the oubliette." Cackles rose from the goblins surrounding him. "That was too close," he snapped, silencing them with a glare. Allowing the crystal to dissolve, he pondered the best way to get rid of them.

Sitting back down on his throne, he considered his options. One, he could let them sit in the oubliette until time was up. However, Lina did not seem the type to give up easily. Jareth knew that despite the limits on her power, she could still do a lot of property damage before she collapsed. Two, he could give them a hint. The tunnel out of the oubliette would lead them far away from the Express Passage and into the main part of the Labyrinth. Three, he could send them some "help" to take them back to the beginning of the Labyrinth. But not Hoggle – the dwarf had betrayed Jareth before. Fortunately, the dwarf seemed uninclined to help these two conquer the maze. So who?

Coming to a decision, he conjured another crystal. In it, he watched as Lina complained, and Zelgadis made a careful survey of the oubliette. So, the part-demon apparently had excellent night-vision. Jareth saw the chimera discover the magic door. Fascinating, this demon-boy. So clever, so powerful. For the first time, Jareth considered making his offer to Zelgadis rather than Lina. The power of glamourie could change his appearance as he wished, and the boy had the makings of an excellent Goblin King. Not that Jareth had any plans of retiring soon, but having an intelligent second-in-command would be refreshing.

Jareth smiled slightly as the chimera lifted the magic door. He watched as Zelgadis put it against the wall to get it out of the way, unknowingly triggering the magic. Yes, letting them figure it out for themselves was the right choice, Jareth congratulated himself.

Unable to hear them talk, he recognized Lina's expression as one of humor as she reached for the door and grabbed the knob. She got the right one on the first try, and her expression of shock was priceless as she stared into the access tunnel.

"Knock!" Jareth called, summoning a goblin. Knock bowed nervously before him. "Notify the Cleaners to get going. And call out the Glass Spiders, just in case."

As Knock bowed again and hurried off, Jareth returned his gaze to the crystal in time to see Zelgadis produce a flint and light a torch. "So clever," Jareth murmured.

The tunnel was simply long. Almost no light, no openings, no twists, no turns, just long.

"How much further?" Lina whined.

"I don't know," Zelgadis snapped back. This Labyrinth was the strangest place he'd ever encountered. But he thought he could hear something…

"Shhh," he interrupted Lina's latest grumblings to listen intently. The noise didn't come from the tunnel before them, it came from behind. And it was getting closer.

Caution overruled Zelgadis's mental reminder of their limited powers, and he tossed a Lighting globe back the way they came as Lina demanded to know what was going on.

The magnesium flare of the Lighting illuminated a frightening sight. Something, some machine, was barreling down the tunnel towards them, filling it entirely. The front of the contraption seemed to be covered in whirling blades.

"RUN!" Zelgadis cried, snatching Lina's hand. He yanked her up under his arm and sprinted down the tunnel. Ignoring her yells, his eyes darted from side to side.

"Zel, look out!" Lina screamed, pointing ahead. An iron grate blocked the tunnel.

Zelgadis skidded to a stop and turned, setting Lina down.

"What the hell was that?" she demanded.

"I don't know, but if it catches us, it'll cut us to ribbons!" On either side of the tunnel before the grate were two similar grates. Even his demon sight couldn't pierce the darkness beyond them, but anything had to be better than staying here. Zelgadis began to pull and pound on one of them. The machine approached ever faster.

"Screw this!" Lina cried. Pushing Zelgadis aside, she cast, "DIL BRAND!" The magical blast destroyed the grate, and they leapt into the side tunnel just in time. The mechanical thing continued straight past them, smashing through the grate in the main tunnel and disappearing into the darkness.

Panting from adrenalin, they peered after the thing.

"It wouldn't have hurt you," Lina pointed out.

Giving her a glare, Zelgadis retorted, "Oh, and you would have me let you be cut up?"

Lina blinked in surprise. His voice bore unusual vehemence. "Well, I could have stood behind you!"

"Just because I can't be hurt by normal swords in our world does not mean I can't be hurt HERE. Better safe than sorry."

Lina's response to that foray was interrupted by a breathy voice saying "Ah, but can our fangs pierce you, I wonder?"

"LIGHTING!" cried Lina, and the sudden illumination revealed a terrifying sight.

Instead of a side tunnel, Lina and Zelgadis stood in a large subterranean chamber. The ceiling was covered in thick sticky webbing, and the creators of that web, dozens of them, hung all around them. They were giant spiders, seemingly made of crystal, with fangs longer than Lina's dagger.

Lina and Zelgadis instinctively tried to duck out of the room, back into the tunnel, but a particularly large spider dropped from above them to block the way.

"Yes, and how will you taste, I wonder?" continued the voice.

Zelgadis drew his sword as Lina began to summon power. She looked around them, and spotted something wonderful on the far wall – a ladder, leading up.

"Zel!" she hissed, indicating the ladder.

Nodding, he muttered back, "Make a break for it at the first opening." As soon as he said that, the spiders attacked.

With a yell, Zelgadis deflected the long pinchers of one. His sword did knock them aside, but did little damage. "Shit," he exclaimed, "ASTRAL VINE!" A glance behind him showed him that Lina had resorted to Flare Arrows to keep the spiders back. Zelgadis continued to fend off the attackers, his enspelled sword causing more damage than before. He ducked and slashed at the legs of one, severing two limbs and causing a few to back off, clicking their pinchers in frustration. Another glance to check on Lina showed him that one spider was about to drop directly on her. Spinning, he frantically cast "BOMD DI WIND!"

The pressurized air blast sent not only the dangling spider, but also several others flying. An opening appeared in the circle of crystalline arachnids. Lina crowed, "NOW!" and bolted for the ladder. Zelgadis follow, still keeping the spiders back with wild sweeps of his sword.

As they reached the ladder, with one hand, Zelgadis boosted Lina up. "Climb!" he yelled.

"Zel, come on!" She yelled back, scrambling up. But the spiders were closing in around them.

"Go on!" he replied, chopping off the pincher of one spider that came too close. "I'll hold them!"

Now almost thirty feet up, Lina paused to look back down. "I said come on!" she cried.

Casting a Flare Arrow at another spider scurrying along the wall towards her, Zelgadis snarled, "I said CLIMB, damn it!"

Glancing above her, Lina saw that the ladder continued into a dark passage, too narrow for the spiders to follow. She spared one last glance at Zelgadis, and started climbing again. Just as she reached the narrowing, she heard Zelgadis chanting. Recognizing the spell, she muttered, "Damn it, Zelgadis!" and doubled her speed.

"VLAVE HOWL!"

The magically induced lava blast roared in Lina's ears as she scurried up the never-ending ladder. She cursed Zelgadis in three dead languages in her mind. The Vlave Howl would fill the enclosed chamber and flow back in on him. A glance down showed only a dim red glow. Suddenly, her senses told her there was an obstruction above. Reaching up, her hand met a stone surface. Bracing herself, she pushed, and it gave way before her, revealing bright sunshine and blue sky. Lina heaved herself up and found herself in a perfectly tended garden, like those around Saillune Palace. She leaned back down the hole.

"Zel!" she called. Her voice echoed down the dark hole. "Zelgadis?" She strained, listening for a response. "Zel? ZELGADIS!"

Nothing.

"Damn you Zel! And you call me reckless! Zel! Answer me!"

Her throat began to tighten, and she was suddenly afraid that her mental prediction about the spell had come true.

"ZELGADIS!" She shrieked down the hole.

Six Glass Spiders dragged a web-covered mass behind them. They emerged from a tunnel into the Labyrinth Forest to find Jareth waiting.

"Well?"

Clicking its pinchers, one spider explained, "The girl escaped. The demon-boy is here."

"And were you able to pierce his skin?"

"Yes, sire. He will forget."

Jareth smiled cruelly. "Excellent. Leave us. Poison the apple tree near the gate to the Topiary. She's certain to be hungry."

As the spiders faded into the woods, Jareth pulled the webbing away from Zelgadis's unconscious face. The young man was singed, and a pair of small puncture wounds on his shoulder revealed where the spiders had been able to poison him.

"Now, 'my son', once you awake, I'll have a little job for you."

Lina wandered the maze of hedges listlessly. Her mind kept replaying her last sight of Zelgadis. She realized that he had never intended on following her. Lina tried to wrap her mind around the idea that he had sacrificed himself for her. If he died here, was he really dead? Or would he wake up back in the inn, and be waiting there when she got back?

She looked up to find herself in a small clearing. In front of her was a wall, in which there were two doors. The doors had gargoyle knockers, but no handles. There seemed to be a forest on the other side, and dimly beyond that, she could see the spires of the castle at the center of the Labyrinth.

Lina was so hungry she could barely think. Her stomach made a loud statement to that effect, but she tried for once to ignore it. Zelgadis sacrificed himself for me, she thought. She felt worse than when Gourry had been kidnapped. Then, she knew he was defenseless against Hellmaster. But Zelgadis was cool and calm, capable and strong. She remembered when Zelgadis fell before Hellmaster, but somehow this was worse. She didn't know how. Maybe because she didn't see him die. Maybe because she'd just gotten so used to him surviving everything.

"Well, are you just going to stand there and stare?" snapped one of the doorknockers.

"Huh?" Lina blinked. It wasn't everyday she was addressed by a door.

"Pick one of us and go on." The first door muttered. The other doorknocker rolled its eyes.

"Mlwys shuff n grmp," observed the second.

"Mumble mumble mumble!" whined the first.

Lina noticed that the first knocker had its swinging ring through its ears. The second held its ring in its mouth.

"Does it matter which door I use?" Lina asked. She couldn't muster the energy to be surprised any more.

"What? Speak up!" said the first.

"Hf dff s'n drr!" mumbled the second. Lina walked up to the second and pulled the ring out of its mouth.

"Oh! Ahhh! Thank you! I said, he's deaf as a door! Ha ha ha!" The second chuckled.

"Does it matter which door?" Lina repeated.

"Nope!" The second smiled, then intoned, "Knock, and the door will open."

"Fine." Lina held up the ring to replace it, but the knocker clamped his lips shut.

"Huh, doesn't want his ring back, eh?" chuckled the first. "Can't say I blame him!"

"Open up!" Lina snarled, but the second knocker just pursed its lips tighter. "Fine!" She flung the ring down, and raised her hands. "FIREBALL!"

She stepped over the burning, charred remains of the door and strode into the forest. "Like I have time to argue with the fixtures," she muttered.

"Where am I?"

"In the Labyrinth Forest."

"Who are you?"

"I am Jareth, the Goblin King and ruler of the Labyrinth."

"Oh." He paused. "Who am I?"

"You are my son, and Prince of the Goblins."

The youth blinked. "Why don't I remember that?"

Jareth smiled. "You were battling the Glass Spiders and were injured."

"Oh." The youth looked down at himself.

"You're alright now. See for yourself." Jareth gestured to a nearby pond. The youth staggered over and looked in the water. Startled, he sat back.

"What am I?" he asked Jareth.

"A goblin prince," Jareth replied calmly. "Look again." When the youth turned, Jareth cast a small glamourie.

As the youth looked, his features, stone-colored and rough, smoothed over to reveal pale skin and soft violet hair. "What's my name?" he asked as his stared at himself. There's something wrong, he thought.

"Your name is Zelgadis. Prince Zelgadis. And you have duties, my son."

Turning back, Prince Zelgadis nodded. "I do, my father?"

With an approving smile, Jareth nodded. "Yes. You are not hurt much, and you will find that you remember more as you go about your normal duties."

Prince Zelgadis nodded. He tried to remember what he did for his father the King, but nothing came to him. He was battling Glass Spiders? Perhaps he was his father's enforcer. That seemed reasonable. Shrugging, he rose to his feet, and as he placed his hand on the sword hilt at his side, he felt a little better. "What would you have me do, my father?"

Smiling even wider, Jareth chuckled. "Back to work, is it? Very well." His expression hardened. "There is a thief in the wood. A girl. Though she is young, she is dangerous, and she would steal something in my possession. Stop her."

Bowing, because it seemed the right thing to do, Prince Zelgadis said, "Yes, my father. Sire." Turning, he started into the wood.

As Zelgadis disappeared into the brush, Jareth's smile became evil. "Knock!" he called, and the hapless goblin appeared at his elbow. "It has worked. Keep an eye on him."

Lina started and stared around her. Something, or rather, several somethings were following her. Another rustle behind her made her whirl.

"Come out!" she called, kindling a Fireball in her hands.

"YYEEEEAAAAA!" shrieked something behind her, and as she whirled back, Lina tossed the fireball. The thing yowled as it got caught by the fireball, and more voices yelled and cackled from the bushes. More creatures piled into the clearing around Lina.

They were not even her height, but they were as flaming red as her hair. "Fire! Firey!" they cried, dancing around her. "More fire! Play! Play!" To her amazement, they started literally removing their heads and tossing them back and forth. "Firey!" they continually cried.

One head came flying at her, flapping its ears like wings, and Lina knocked it aside with a Flare Arrow. That only seemed to delight them more.

"Firey!" "Yes, Firey!" "One of us!" "Fire Queen! Firey Queen!" "No more Jareth!" "Lady, you OUR Queen now!" Soon they had gathered close enough that they were pulling on her arms, her hair, and even her legs. It was like having mini-Xelloses all over her.

"Get off! OW! Stop that! DIL BRANDO!" One corner of Lina's mind noted that they bounced, still laughing, when they hit the ground. She took off running.

"Sire, she didn't get to the apple tree. The Firegang got to her first."

"Oh? How did she react?" Jareth asked, prepared to be amused.

"She blew them up. But they declared her their Queen."

"WHAT?" Rising, Jareth waved Knock away. "Send a detachment to discipline them. And transplant the apple tree right in her path." As Lina's goblin spy hurried off, Jareth pondered his options again. If he could get Lina to eat the apples, he could place her in a fantasy. Then, he could seduce her himself, but would it be more effective to have Zelgadis seduce her? She might be less apt to throw off the spell if faced with something subconsciously familiar. Something even… wanted?

With a thought, Jareth transported himself to the Labyrinth Forest, near to the place Lina had blown up the Firegang. He found Zelgadis there, examining the wreckage.

Looking up at Jareth, Zelgadis said, "She has some sort of powers, father."

Pleased by Zelgadis's subservience, Jareth smiled. "Indeed. You must be careful, son."

"I'm tracking her. It won't be long now."

Jareth nodded. From nowhere, he produced a crystal. "When you find her, hold this up. It will… bind her."

Zelgadis nodded, and took the crystal from Jareth. He pocketed it, and headed after Lina.

Lina stared at the wonder before her. "A miracle!" she gasped.

The huge apple tree spread its branches wide. The fruit was red and ripe, and Lina thought she could even smell them. Leaping, she grabbed two apples and stuffed them in her mouth. Apple juice ran down her chin. Jumping again, she grabbed more.

Then she stopped. She felt faint. The light seemed to waver. Blinking, as if to clear her eyes, she fell to her knees. The trees swayed and danced. "What's going on?" she muttered, slumping against the trunk of the apple tree. Woozy, she turned as something broke through the trees to her right. She caught sight of a blur of beige. With a sigh, she whispered, "Zel," and passed out.

Prince Zelgadis looked at the girl leaning against the apple tree. This was the thief, the powerful girl that blasted the Firegang and wanted to steal from his father. She was so small. Shrugging, Zelgadis held up the crystal his father had given him. It seemed to pull away, and then it did indeed fly out of his fingers, floating through the air. It gave off a light, sparkling at first, then brightening until Zelgadis had to shade his eyes.

When he opened them, he was in a ballroom. An opulent ballroom, full of dancers and decorations. He noticed that all the dancers had on grotesque masks.

"A goblin ball," said a voice, and Zelgadis turned to find his father behind him, dressed in a fine doublet of velvet and silk, all in dark blue. Looking down at himself, he found his clothes had changed from the beige tunic and trews he had on in the woods, to an outfit similar to his father's, all creams and beige and white.

"Father?" he asked, wanting an explanation.

Jareth smiled. "Why, Prince Zelgadis! Don't you recall the finery of the Goblin Court?"

Blushing, Zelgadis admitted, "I'm afraid not, father. I … I don't remember anything like this. Why are we here? Where is the thief?"

"She is here. But I think, perhaps, she would make a fine addition to the Goblin Court. After all," and Jareth laid a hand on Zelgadis's shoulder, strengthening the glamourie on him. "She is lovely, is she not? And soon, my son, you will need a wife."

Blinking, Zelgadis found himself recalling similar conversations.

"And you have often complained of the lack of young ladies in the court. So, find her. Win her to us. Perhaps she will give up her thieving ways and join us." Jareth smiled to himself as he saw Zelgadis becoming convinced. The music of the ball swirled and swelled about them. Laying on a bit more glamourie, Jareth continued, "You are interested in her, aren't you?"

To his surprise, something flickered behind Zelgadis's eyes. "I know her," Zelgadis whispered. "From before, don't I?" He seemed confused, but Jareth resolved to use it.

"Yes," Jareth whispered in Zelgadis's ear. "Woo her. Win her. Make her want to stay."

Nodding, Zelgadis wandered into the crowds of dancers.

Jareth smiled as he reclined in his throne, watching the fantasy in his crystal. There was something almost too easy about convincing Zelgadis. He wondered if the demon-boy knew.

Lina stepped aside as a pair of courtiers danced by. She felt awkward, a country girl come to court. Her gown of emerald swirled about her feet as she moved. She looked about, desperate for a familiar face. She didn't think she should be here alone, but she couldn't be certain.

Suddenly, a glimpse of blue eyes topped by violet hair startled her. Looking again, she saw a man in white, his mask formed like a stone monster. She tried to see his eyes, but dancers got in the way, and when they'd moved, he was gone.

Prince Zelgadis stepped back, out of her line of sight. She was beautiful. Her green gown highlighted her flame-colored hair and eyes. He found himself wanting to succeed, wanting it desperately. Again, he stepped forward, but she'd moved, peering at everyone as if she were searching for someone. Finally, Zelgadis placed himself in front of her.

She stared up at the man before her. It was the same stone-faced creature as before, but now she saw the blue eyes that so attracted her. He reached up and removed the mask, letting it fall from his fingers. His eyes locked with hers, and before she knew it, he had taken her hand and led her into the dance. She leaned her head against his shoulder as they moved.

She's warm in my arms, Prince Zelgadis thought. He found himself resisting the urge to crush her against his chest and hold her forever. Win her, he reminded himself. Father wants her in the court. Father wants her to be one of us. Us? Suddenly, he thought, what if Father wants her himself?

Lina looked up at the man she danced with. Her eyes met his, and she again thought she knew him. He seemed perfect to her, handsome and strong. But there was something more. As they spun, she saw his eyes harden into something different, something fierce. Daring greatly, she whispered, "What is it?"

Zelgadis paused at her question. "I want to protect you," he replied.

Reflexively, she said, "I don't need to be protected."

Shrugging, he answered, "I want to anyway." And she smiled.

He blushed and ducked his head. As he did, his hair fell forward and covered his right eye. Lina gasped. Something clicked in her head. "Zelgadis," she whispered.

His head snapped up. They stopped, letting the dance go on without them.

"Yes, I am." He said.

Lina closed her eyes. Am I dreaming, she wondered? But then, she felt him tip her face up, and he kissed her. Her eyes snapped open, and her fingers clutched at his arms. He's alive! This had to be real!

Suddenly, screams surrounded them. A great wind seemed to tear them apart, and Lina felt herself falling. Reaching up, she saw a clock, a clock that read from one to thirteen, and it was ringing twelve. "No!" she yelled, unable to see Zelgadis as she fell, afraid she was losing him again.

Zelgadis woke up on a pile of rubbish. He rubbed his face, hearing the grind of stone on stone. Opening his eyes, he looked at his hands. Confused, he wondered why they were blue. Then, everything rushed back to him.

"Damn," he snarled. Then he leaped to his feet. "Lina!"

Zelgadis scrambled down off the trash heap, drawing his sword. "Lina!" he called, climbing over smaller piles.

Not far away, Lina opened her eyes and stared at the reddening sky. I had lost something, found it again, and lost it again, she thought. What was it? Then she heard her name being called. She sat up and looked around at the giant trash yard she found herself in.

"LINA!"

"Zelgadis!" Lina yelled, sliding down the pile to the ground. He came around another pile and froze, staring at her. Lina stared back, seeing the usual chimera form with her eyes, and remembering the handsome prince from her dream. "Zel!" Ignoring her usual reputation for just a moment, she ran to him and hugged him, too glad to see him alive to care.

"L-Lina?" he stammered, one arm going around her involuntarily.

She pulled back and smiled at him. Then she leaped up and punched him in the head. "DON'T EVER PULL A STUPID STUNT LIKE THAT AGAIN!" she screamed, continuing to pound on him, ignoring her breaking fingers. "Setting off a Vlave Howl underground! I thought you were dead, you stone jerk!"

"Ow! Knock it off!" Zelgadis ducked away and rubbed his head. He never could figure out how she still managed to hurt him doing that. But at least she didn't seem to remember the ballroom fantasy. "Who's the stupid one?" he asked, taking her hand to cast a healing spell on it. "When are you going to remember that punching me only breaks your hand?"

"When you forget how to heal it," she replied tartly.

Shocked, he gave her a wide-eyed look, and she blushed. That comment was a bit more like flirting than Lina usually talked.

Finished, he dropped her hand. "There's not much time left."

Grateful to focus on something else, Lina nodded. "Right. Let's go."

With a frustrated growl, Jareth crushed the crystal in his hands. Her will was great. Standing, he paced his throne room. Soon, it would come to brute strength. "Knock!"

Shaking, the summoned goblin stood before Jareth.

"Knock, summon the regiments! Bring the prize to the Hall of Stairs! Send the regiments in to the city to set an ambush. THIS TIME make sure they KNOW what they're DOING!" Jareth punctuated the orders with a few lashes of his whip. The terrified goblin fled to carry out the orders.

Zelgadis wiped his blade on the ragged clothes of the goblin guard before sheathing the sword. At Lina's quizzical look, he shrugged. "No alarm given." He explained tersely.

Lina looked down at the corpse of the goblin who'd been standing, or rather, sleeping guard on the City's gate. "That whole 'heartless, mystical swordsman' reputation has gotta be hard to live up to," she remarked sarcastically. "Jareth's just going to be delighted."

"Do you care?"

"Can you do that to Jareth too?" Lina asked with an evil grin.

Returning her grin with his own smirk, Zelgadis replied, "Gladly."

They pushed open the gate to find themselves facing another archway, framing a view of the City streets. But as they advanced, doors appeared to swing closed before them.

"WHO GOES THERE?" boomed a sepulchre voice.

As the doors slammed shut in front of them, a monstrous golem of steel stepped forwards, created from the doors themselves. With one massive hand, it lifted a giant axe and swung for their heads.

"WHO GOES THERE?"

"Shit!" swore Lina, ducking. Zelgadis drew his sword, but even he would not be able to deflect the blows of this giant. They backed away, only to find spears had sprung up behind them.

"WHO GOES THERE?"

"Come here!" Zelgadis yelled, sheathing his sword. As soon as she was close enough, he grabbed Lina around the waist.

"Hey!"

"Rey Wing!" Zelgadis flew them up over the giant. As it swung futilely at them, he cast, "BRAM BLAZER!" The enclosed area between the two City gates erupted in explosions.

Maintaining the Rey Wing, Zelgadis flew them over the City, ignoring Lina's complaints that she could fly herself, and several annoyed comments about his grabbing her like that. Halfway to the Castle, the City below erupted into shouts, as goblin soldiers, dismayed at their inability to trap flying targets, cursed them.

Suddenly, there was a booming noise as the goblins brought their cannons into play.

"Guns!" Lina shrieked. She felt more than heard Zelgadis gasp as a cannonball struck him in the back. He dropped her.

"GAHHH! LEVITATION!" As Lina got herself under control, she saw Zelgadis hit the ground. The cannonball actually housed a tiny goblin clinging to Zelgadis's cloak. It produced a small axe and began hacking at him.

Landing quickly, Lina punted the goblin a good thirty yards. "Get off him!" Whirling, she tossed of several Fireballs at approaching goblin soldiers. "Zel! Get up!"

Zelgadis clambered to his feet, slicing with his sword at several more goblins. Those that Lina burned shrieked and danced, and occasionally set their neighbors on fire.

"Clear a path!" Zelgadis gasped. Lina spared a glance to see blood on his collar, but at her exclamation of shock, he waved her away. "No time for healing."

"Right!" She spotted a roadway leading in the correct general direction and cast as series of Fireballs to clear their way.

As they ran, Zelgadis ordered her, "No more spells!"

"What? Why?"

"Save strength."

Humph, he's getting really short on words, Lina thought, but his order made sense. However, the very next thing Zelgadis did was turn and cast, "VLAVE HOWL!" behind them. As the goblins caught in the lava screamed, Lina said, "I thought you just…"

"You! Not me. YOU still have to face Jareth. BRAM BLAZER!" He cut off a side road filled with troops. "Run for the Castle!" Zelgadis shoved her away, sending more spells at the goblin army.

Lina sprinted for the Castle doors. Any goblins that got in her way were either jumped over or booted into the distance. Pausing on the top of the steps, she saw that Zelgadis had reached the bottom of the stairs, and was proceeding to destroy as much of the area around as he could with Vlave Howls, and his particularly good Stone Spiker spell.

Still, goblins were reaching him. "ASTRAL VINE!" With his blade enchanted, he cut through as many as he could.

"Zel! Come on!" Lina called.

From his vantage in a high window, Jareth watched the demon-boy decimate his army. "Very impressive. But, such a blow to my numbers."

With his next thrust, the Astral Vine enchantment faded, and Zelgadis suddenly felt himself falter. "Shit!" He ran up the steps to join Lina. "I'm out," he said, as they pushed the doors shut behind them.

"That's OK. I've got plenty to burn!" Lina gave him a cocky grin, and they started to make their way through the halls of the Castle.

Soon they found themselves in the Great Hall. Jareth's throne on a dais was empty. Rags and trash and rotting food lay everywhere.

"Ugh. Some king." Lina grimaced. "How gross."

"No time for cleaning," Zelgadis observed, pointing at a clock with read only five minutes to thirteen.

Only one other door from the one they entered led out of the hall. It framed a stairwell leading up.

"Let's go!" Lina cried, sprinting up the stairs, Zelgadis a step behind her.

Jareth chuckled as they stumbled to a halt just before dropping off the ledge as they entered the Hall of Stairs. With a wave of his hand, he dropped the glamourie hiding Amelia, bound and gagged, on another ledge, one at complete right angles to them.

"Amelia!" Lina called, waving.

Through her gag, Amelia squealed at them, her hands and feet tied to a chair.

"Looks like Jareth couldn't take her speeches," Zelgadis observed, earning himself an elbow in the gut.

"LEVITATION!" Lina cast, stepping off the ledge.

"Oh, no you don't, lovely Lina," muttered Jareth, cutting off the spell.

Zelgadis just managed to grab her wrist before she fell.

"Damn it!" Lina swore as Zelgadis hauled her back up. They started running down the stairs to the left, but when they paused, Amelia was now on the ceiling!

"What the-?"

"No gravity," Zelgadis snarled.

"MFR ZLGDS!" Amelia tried to yell through her gag, squirming. "MS LLNNEH!"

Lina and Zelgadis ran for another stairwell. But this time, Amelia ended up even further away and several levels below.

"GAAAH!" Lina shrieked in frustration. They tried another way, but again, Amelia was moved, this time to a dangerously small ledge high above them.

"Amelia! Don't move!" Zelgadis hollered. Then he heard a dangerous chuckle behind him. Glancing back at Lina, he noticed her lips moving. "Ceipheed help us," he groaned, and yelled up to Amelia, "HANG ON! SHE'S GOING TO -"

"…the power You and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE!"

Jareth's eyes widened.

The Hall of Stairs crumbled around them. Rather than plunging to their deaths, Lina and Zelgadis found themselves touching down on a floor as lightly as if they'd Levitated. Walls and bits of stairwells continued to drift down around them as if slowed, and the floor they stood on seemed to float in nothingness.

Out of the darkness stepped Jareth. He was clad in pure white, with the full aura of his powers around them. He smirked at them, still confident of winning. Somewhere, a clock began to slowly toll thirteen.

"Very impressive. Zelgadis, you certainly cut a swath through my forces."

Snarling, Zelgadis drew his blade, twisting it to create an ominous grinding sound as it came out of the scabbard.

"Want to take a shot?" Jareth asked casually. "When I could offer you… this?" A crystal appeared, balanced on his fingertips. In it, Lina could faintly see the image of the handsome young man who'd kissed her. Gasping, she realized it was Zelgadis's human form.

"Not from you," Zelgadis snarled, stepping forward and raising his sword.

"Pity," Jareth murmured. He tossed the crystal at Zelgadis. It shattered in midair, showering Zelgadis with sparks. Lina blinked, and in that instant, Zelgadis had been turned from his usual bluish appearance, to utter gray granite. Even his clothes and sword were granite.

"Zelgadis!" Lina cried, rushing to him as Jareth chuckled.

Jareth grabbed her arm and pulled her away. "If not one, then the other!" he laughed. Lina tried to punch him, but he only caught her other wrist. "You know, he can still see like that." Jareth whispered. Then he kissed her hard.

Twisting her face away, Lina cast, "MONO VOLT!" but not so much as a spark emerged.

"Lina. Beautiful Lina. Powerful Lina. Stay, stay with me here in the Labyrinth." Jareth crooned to her, his voice carrying glamourie to lure her. "I can give you power and treasure beyond your imagining…"

Unbidden, the words of the storyteller back in the inn came to Lina's mind.

_"Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered…._" Lina whispered.

Jareth stepped back.

Zelgadis's eyes, still blue, glittered from his granite prison.

"I have fought my way here to the Castle beyond the Goblin City, to take back the... child… you have stolen."

"Only fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave," Jareth offered.

"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great."

"Stop!" Jareth ordered, and startled, Lina fell silent. Calling up a shimmering crystal, Jareth held it out to her. "I am offering you your dreams. Your every desire fulfilled."

With a glance at Zelgadis, Lina stood as straight and tall as she could.

_"YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!"_

When Lina reopened her eyes, she was standing in the hallway of the inn. Zelgadis lay on the floor on his side at her feet. A white owl flapped above her head, then made for the open window at the end of the hall. She waited until it had disappeared into the night, then knelt to shake the chimera.

"Zel? Zel!" she whispered hoarsely.

With a groan, he rolled onto his back. Blinking, his eyes tracked onto hers and focused. "You did it." He said.

"We did it." Lina corrected. With a shocked expression, she gasped. "Amelia!"

She helped Zelgadis to his feet and they both scrambled for her room. Opening the door, they saw a bed illuminated by moonlight from the open window, and in the bed lay Amelia, fast asleep. As Lina tiptoed across the room to shut and bar the window, Amelia sighed, rolled over, and muttered, "Star of Justice" sleepily.

Zelgadis grimaced. "Even in her sleep?" he whispered to Lina.

"Yeah." She pulled the door shut, and the two stood in the hall, just looking at each other.

"Well, um, well done," Zelgadis said. "Goodnight."

"Zel…." Lina strangely wanted him to stay. After so much adventure together, it felt odd to just let him walk away. And then there was that dream of the ball.

"Yes?"

Lina paused, hoping the words would come to her, but none did.

Amelia remembered nothing of the nighttime adventure, Lina discovered when she carefully questioned Amelia in the morning. Then she was busy fighting Gourry over breakfast, and then they argued over which road to take. Then they happened upon some bandits who were just begging to be beat up.

So it wasn't until that evening after they'd set up a camp, had dinner, and counted out the bandit loot that Lina had a chance to talk with Zelgadis.

As usual, he was seated a bit away from the snoring Gourry and the sleep-talking Amelia.

Lina settled down on the ground beside him. "Was it a dream?" she asked him quietly.

"No." He pulled down his collar to show her a three-inch scar on his neck from the tiny goblin and it's axe. "Healed it after we got back." Glancing up at her tense expression, he hesitated, then continued, "Well, maybe parts of it were." Not daring to look up, he began to polish his blade. The silence stretched between them.

"Too bad," Lina finally said, and as she rose, she began to hum. Zelgadis's head shot up as he recognized the song they'd danced to in Jareth's fantasy ball. Their eyes met.

"I don't need protection," Lina whispered.

Zelgadis swallowed slowly, then he shrugged and whispered back, "I want to anyway."

Lina nodded and knelt in front of him. "I'd rather have a prince."

Nervous now, Zelgadis could only say, "I'm not a prince."

Lina smiled slightly. "You're close enough." And she kissed him.

High above, a pure white owl flew, silhouetted against the moon.


End file.
